Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical support device for holding and positioning a needle. More specifically, the present invention relates to positioning of one or more needles in a puncture treatment.
Description of the Related Art
In medical treatment, in order to improve the QOL (quality of life) of the patient, the need for less invasive treatment is increasing. In such a situation, percutaneous puncture treatments such as percutaneous puncture ablation and percutaneous puncture cryosurgery have been developed as less invasive treatments.
However, in the case of percutaneous puncture treatment, the puncture target site is not directly visible, and therefore puncture needs to be performed on the basis of a medical image obtained using an MRI machine, a CT machine, or the like. However, since these medical imaging machines are used, an image cannot be obtained in real time. Although an image can be obtained in real time by using a special MRI machine, in that case, the work need to be performed in a narrow space. In both cases, it is difficult to precisely reach the target, and therefore the operation takes time.
In such a situation, a puncture-supporting mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. Pub. 2011/0190787 has been proposed as medical support using a medical image obtained using an MRI machine, a CT machine, or the like. According to U.S. Pat. Pub. 2011/0190787, a marker attached to a device is recognized on a medical image, and the attitude of the device is found. On the basis of this attitude and the position of the puncture target, the direction and depth of puncture may be determined and puncture is supported. In the case of this mechanism, a needle can be inserted through the same insertion point toward different puncture targets, and therefore the trauma due to puncture is minimized. In addition, the mechanism can be reduced in size, and a patient can enter an existing medical imaging machine with the device attached to them.
Operative methods performed in a state where instruments are inserted at a plurality of different target positions are increasingly used as a percutaneous puncture treatment.
However, when an operator tries to insert instruments at a plurality of different target positions, as the case of the configuration disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. 2011/0190787, the instruments are inserted through the same insertion point unless the installation position is changed. For this reason, when the operator tries to insert the second and subsequent instrument(s), the instruments interfere with each other, and insertion of more than one instrument cannot be performed.
In U.S. Pat. Pub. 2005/0080333, insertion of a plurality of instruments at different target positions is achieved using a grid-like positioning unit. However, a dedicated conveying bed is needed, therefore the device is large, and use in an existing imaging machine is difficult.
In view of such problems, it is desired to avoid interference between instruments with a simple mechanism. Thus, there is need for a device that can be used with multiple instruments (such as needles) where the instruments can be placed at the target sites with little to no interference between the instruments without the need to re-install the device on the patient.